Catalina Sounds Pinot Noir 2022

Product Information:

A brooding beast at first. With a little air it unfurls revealing a mosaic of aromatics - cassis, earthy spices, black tea, fresh toast and ripe plums give lead to the palate with finely powdered tannins, juicy red cherries and fleshy plum texture that finishes long with notes of dried cranberry and black tea. Outstanding.

The fruit was harvested as individual clones and parcels over 14 days by both hand and machine. The handpicked fruit was entirely destemmed in 2022 and all batches fermented separately in open top fermenters using selected and wild yeasts. Ferments were managed mostly with a pump over once a day and a hand plunge in the peak of fermentation. Batches were left on their skins post-ferment for 5 – 7 days before draining the wine and pressing the skins. Then, batches are transferred to French barrels (12% new) for 11 months. Select barrels and batches are blended in February and bottled in March prior to the next harvest.

Maker:

Catalina sounds officially took flight in 2005 with a singular vision to produce the best wines in Marlborough. Named after the majestic Catalina flying boats and the iconic Marlborough Sounds at our doorstep, Catalina Sounds produces wines that are true to the region and our vineyard sites while building an extra textural dimension – wines that are uniquely Catalina Sounds. The name comes from the majestic Catalina flying boats that played a vital role across the South Pacific during and after World War II. New Zealand’s famous and largest warbird, the Catalina is a rare sight, in fact there are only a handful of these beautiful, iconic planes left in the world today. Get up close to the label, and you can just spot the reflection of the Catalina soaring across the Sounds.

Evolved from their humble origins, Catalina Sounds has quickly reputation for producing premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc throughout the world. Now pushing into new varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Their aim remains to produce a single vineyard range from their over achieving estate vineyard, 'Sound of White'.

Catalina Sounds is accredited with Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, a core element of their winemaking and viticultural philosophy is protecting, regenerating and planning for a sustainable future. In recent years, Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) certification has become an integral piece of their vision to produce the best wines of Marlborough. Catalina Sounds considers AMW as the benchmark for protecting provenance and a signifier of integrity and quality as they look toward the future of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in a supply constrained market.

Vineyard:

The 21/22 season is one for the books. Winter rains replenished parched soils and broke a three-year drought. A warm and wet winter continued into spring, bringing lush growth to the vines, a perfect flowering and an abundance of fruit. January was warm and dry, and decisions to reduce yields on all their Pinot Noir ensured quality was the driver. This was beneficial as February saw a significant rain event, followed by cool weather, slowing ripening and retaining acids. March was near perfect weather wise, allowing ‘hang time’ for the fruit to ripen and develop flavour. Individual parcels were picked over 14 days from the 15th to 29th March.

Nose - Cassis, Earthy Spices, Black Tea
Fresh toast and ripe plums give lead to the palate with finely powdered tannins.

Palate - Toast, Ripe Plums, Powdery Tannin
Ripe plums and juicy red cherries, subtle oak influence with cedar, vanilla and spice.

Finish - Juicy Red Cherries, Dried Cranberry, Oolong Tea
Well balanced, finishing dry with wafts of vanilla, cedar and spicy oak flavours.

Pale pinot noir in a lighter style with violet, red cherry, vanilla, cedar and spicy oak flavours. Well-balanced wine that is a pleasure to drink now. - Bob Campbell MW, The Real Review, 91 Points.

The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - New Zealand
Region - Marlborough
Vintage - 2022
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13%